Box



Dec. 17, 1940. A. ANDERscHlTZ BOX Filed May l2, 19.38

xmlns Patented Dec. 17, 1940 UNITED STATES BOX Andreas Anderschitz,Vienna, Germany, assigner to the firm Union Gesellschaft frMetallindustrie, Sils, van de Loo & Co., Frondenberg- Ruhr, GermanyApplication May 12, 193s, serial No. 207,430

In Germany April 1, 1938 5 Claims.

This invention relates to a travelling or weekend box. K

It is the object of the invention to provide a box serving to receivebathing articles, services and similar articles used for week-endparties inv its collapsed position and adapted to be changed to a couchor deck-chair.

With this object in View the box comprises side walls consisting of aplurality of so-called lazy tongs, i. e. a series of two-armed levershingedly connected in pairs in the form of scissors or shears the endsof which are hingedly connected with further scissors of the same kindto form many successive parallelograms of variable side angles which canbe adjusted to provide a structure of variable length, being very shortin a collapsed condition but having a considerable length whenstretched. The said side walls are held in a parallel spacedrelationship by cross bars. A flexible strip secured to the cross barsis provided to be maintained in a stretched condition in the stretchedposition of the lazy tong arrangement and to be embraced in thecollapsed condition thereof by a cover comprising the space of the boxbetween the side walls and adapted to be attached or locked at its freeend like a box cover by means of a lock, advantageously a tension lockor the like.

According to a further feature of the invention the cover comprising theinner space of the box is adapted to be set up as a protective screen orcanopy top projecting over the head portion of the couch and protectingthe head of the user from sunv and wind. 7

The invention will be better understood by reference to the followingdetailed description in connection with the accompanying drawing showingby way of example and diagrammatically an embodiment of the invention,viz:

Fig. l is a front elevation of the box in its closed position.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the box shown in Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a section of the box, in a partly opened position.

Fig. 4 is an elevation of the box stretched in the form of a bed orcouch.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view, showing a hinge of the structure.

Referring now to the drawing in greater detail, it will be seen that thewhole box consists of walls which can be collapsed or folded together.Thus, for instance, the side walls of the box are formed of lazy tongsheld in a parallel spaced relationship by cross bars 2, 3. These sidewalls I in their stretched position, Fig. 4, form the stretching membersfor the flexible strip or covering cloth 4 which is secured at one endto the cross bar 3 arid at its opposite end to Aa cross bar 5 of aheadframe 6. The head frame 6 is hingedly connected at 1 tothe arm ofthe lazy tong associated with the cross bar 2, and further supported bythe arm 8 thereof, so as to stretch the cloth 4. In order to release thehead frame 6 from its stretched position, catches 9 or locking bolts orthe like are provided at the arms 8 of the lazy tong and adapted toengage corresponding recesses I of the head frame 6 in the stretchedposition of the lazy ton-gs only. A foot frame I2, consisting at bothsides of two hinged arms or slewing brackets, is hingedly connected tothe arms II, the cross bar I3 of the foot frame I2 being connected withthe cross bar 3 of the side wall by a further flexible strip or clothcovering I4 and thereby forming a lower extension of the bed surface asknown from collapsible deck-chairs.

The ottoman or fauteuil chaise thus set up may be collapsed afterrelease of the catcher 9, by withdrawing or pushing together the lazytongs I in the known manner in their longitudinal direction and swingingthem towards the head frame 6 in a manner as to form closed side walls.In order that the hinged arms of the foot frame I2 may bear tightly onthe exterior arms of the side walls, said hinged arms are lhingedlyconnected to projecting bearing brackets I of the arm II which permitthe two hinged arms I2 ofthe vfoot frame on each side of the box to befolded down side by side tightly and directly on the last arm of thelazy tong, as shown in Fig. 3.

The collapsed bed is now enveloped by a cover I6 forming the wall of thebox and being reinforced or stiffened at its margin by hingedlyv jointedbars I'I, I3, I9, 20 and 2I which are enveloped by the cover cloth andheld in an upright position with respect to the cover surface by meansof the bars I1 directly jointed to the head frame E at 22. The cover I6is reinforced by transversely arranged bars or plates 23 andv 24 securedto it and forming at the same time the bottom and cover stiffening barsof the box. The hinges 25 of the interconnected bars I'I-2I are bridgedat the inner cover surface by means of the tension straps 26 limitingthe free hingemovement of the hinges 25 in one direction. Thus, the boxcover can be used as a sun screen. To this end, the .whole cover I6 isupwardly swung, with the bed set up, over the head frame 6 to such adegree that it takes up the position shown in Fig. 4 in which it is heldby straps 21 secured to the head frame 6 and the bars II. The straps 26provided at the hinges 25 then hold the cover I6 over the bed with itsouter surface downwardly directed, in the form of a screen.

Before collapsing or folding together the bed, the cover I6 is swungback over the head frame 6, so that the bed is clear for collapsing. `Ina collapsed state of the bed the cover is put over the side walls formedby the tongs or shears in such a manner that it embraces by its bars I'Ithe head frame 6, by its bars I8 the hinges of the side wall I, by itsbars I9 the foot frame I2, and

by its bars 20 the opposite hinges of the side walls l I. In this mannera box is formed in the bottom of which the stretchable cloth ispositioned (Fig. 3) and which offers suflicient space to receive thearticles used in week-end trips. Moreover, since the end of the cover issomewhat spaced or recessed from the cross bar 5, there remains a gap 28which represents the opening of a pocket 29 formed by the cover I 6 andthe stretchable cloth. In order to close the box, the portion of thecover containing the head frame 6 is swung down and then the shortportion of the cover stiffened by the rods 2I is swung over, whereby thepocket is also closed. This portion of the cover is; locked by locks 30secured to the outside of the rods I7 and 2I. A handle 3| is secured tothe plate 24 and metal buttons 32 are provided which serve to protectthe cover and to secure the plates 23 and 24 tothe cover cloth. Thehinges 25 of the bars II-ZI are recessed adjacent to the straps 26 insuch a manner that the cover cloth is prevented from being catched andinjured when the bars are swung in their hinges through While I haveherein shown and described certain preferred embodiments of myinvention, I Wish it to be understood that I do not conne myself to allthe precise details herein set forth by Way of illustration, asmodification and variation may be made without departing from the spiritof the invention or exceeding the scope of the appended claims.

I claim- 1. A travelling box, formed of two side walls each comprising asystem of levers interconnected lazy tong fashion, cross bars connectingthe ends of said side walls in a parallel relationship, end members, aexible cover pivotally connected to said side walls at one end andadapted to envelope the edges of said side Walls in collapsed positionand to serve in extended position as a protective screen, and meansadapted to lock said cover at its free end.

2. A travelling box, formed of two side walls `of variable length eachcomprising a system of levers hingedly connected with each other to formtwo zig-zag lines symmetrically crossing each other, cross barsconnecting the ends of said lever systems in spaced relation, a flexiblestrip connected to said cross bars, a cover pivotally connected to oneend of said side walls and adapted to be set up in the form of aprotective screen, and means adapted to lock said cover at its free endin its closed position, whereby the box can be either closed as atravelling box or opened and stretched, by stretching said systems oflevers and said flexible strip to form a couch, the said crossing leversforming the feet of said couch.

3. A travelling box, formed of two side walls each comprising a systemof levers interconnected lazy tongue-fashion, cross bars connecting theends of said side walls in a parallel relationship, a flexible strip theopposite ends of which are connected to said cross bars, a coverhingeclly connected to said side walls at one end and enveloping thespace of the box between said side walls, and means adapted to lock saidcover at its free end, said strip adapted to be stretched to form a bedin the stretched position of said side walls and to be enclosed in thehollow space formed by said cover in the collapsed position of the box,and means adapted to lock said lever systems in their stretched positionagainst the action of said stretched strip tending to collapse saidlever systems.

4. A travelling box according to claim 2, further comprising a footframe adapted to form an extension of said flexible strip and includinga plurality of hingedly interconnected levers hinged to each side walllever system, said foot frame levers adapted to form an extension ofsaid exible strip in their stretched positions and to form an extensionof the side walls of the box in their collapsed positions.

5. A travelling box according to claim 2, further comprising a headframe across one end of said Wall lever systems and hingedlyinterconnected rods at the margins of said cover held in an edgewiseposition relative to said cover surface by hinge-connection to saidframe, strips across said cover to stiften the middle portion thereof,and straps at the inner sides of the hinges of said rods adapted tolimit the hinge motion in one direction and to hold said cover in afreely overhanging position when set up as a protective screen.

ANDREAS ANDERSCHITZ.

